


To Kill or Be Killed

by lovcly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Apocalypse, Apocalyptic, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25803100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovcly/pseuds/lovcly
Summary: When families get separated;  when friends start betraying;  when the wandering grow lost-it's to kill or be killed.An apocalyptic, demolished, and almost barren world is left behind, a small part on its last bit of fight-New York.  Where people still hope to see the end of the pandemic, still wage war to win, and still cling to the last bit of themselves before throwing it to the wolves.There, a group of war veterans and assassins and geniuses and gods and kids and robots that works to save the people of their home-the state.  Fighting to see the end.There, a vigilante with a high school diploma and a broken radio works to save themselves, even if they leave behind a path of death.  Fighting to see their family.In the end, it's just the same.  To kill or be killed.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter One—Darkend

**Author's Note:**

> The reader is gender-neutral, using they-them pronouns! This is to include all genders! Feel free to replace pronouns to your desire!

The hideout was not the most thought-out, not by a longshot. It was the best that they could find—one that either was abandoned with no one else within the area or wasn't entirely destroyed. They scrounged up what little supplies they looted from a local corner shoppe, which was enough to last them until they had to relocate.

"Darkend, come in. Darkend, pick up your fuckin' radio and come in." Darkend rolled their eyes, taking the device out of their torn pack and brought it to their mouth. "Darkend, to Gateway. Darkend coming in."

"Request location."

"Indeterminable. Approximately four towns from the base."

"Are you fuckin' kidding me? (Y/N), where the fuck are you?" Gateway's voice cracked, no longer hiding her fear for her teammate. "Tell me you know where you're going!"

"Relax, G; I won't be gone for long, maybe a few days. Now, if you care so much about where I am and how I'm gon'na survive, I suggest that you let me do what I'm already doing and get around this mess. I'll be home soon."

Silence took over the radio before Gateway shakily continued. "Keep radio on a low volume while traveling. Stay safe, do you hear me? I love you, I really do."

"I know, I love you, too." Darkend—or (Y/N)—turned their speaker down and hid their radio once again in their pack. They ducked behind the wall, just underneath the window, when something flew past their ear. They felt a slick liquid drip down their jaw, cursing when they saw red after they lightly touched the new wound.

"Mother fucker!" They pulled a pistol out from their waistband and clocked the safety off, ensuring that it was loaded and aimed at the source of the weapon—the arrow that practically tore their ear off.

(Y/N) heard slight footsteps before catching a glimpse of fiery locks before jumping and chasing after the person. The stranger turned down alleyways between buildings and through streets of abandoned automobiles, taking (Y/N) with them. When (Y/N) turned a slight corner, they were greeted with a boot to the chin, knocking them off-keeter. They grabbed their attacker and kneed them in the side, not without the other landing a few more hits in critical places. (Y/N) yanked on their opponent's hair and jumped onto their shoulders, tucking their feet under the other's underarms and grabbing hair at the crown of their head with their free hand. With their weight, they forced the stranger down before sitting on their chest, knees on each side of their neck with the pistol just between the attacker's eyes.

"Who the fuck are you and give me three good reasons why I shouldn't shoot you right now." The stranger looked frightened for a split second before smirking, her lips reddened and stained from blood that had dried and was left. "I didn't shoot you, you came after me, and the one who got you is gon'na kill you."

(Y/N) laughed before turning and throwing her weapon at the man whom had sneaked behind. "Pussy bitch, you fight from the front."

The man chuckled darkly as he kept his bow aimed at the renegade, the thrown weapon not fazing him. "If you get off my partner, maybe we can duke it out, right here and right now." The bow flexed and strained with his hold, almost scaring (Y/N) with the thought that he may actually shoot them.

They glanced back at the female, nodding when they saw that she wasn't going to run away or fight as soon as she was let up—this was something that (Y/N) had seen wherever they traveled. They stood and held their arms up, tilting their head down towards the bow-holder and dropping to their left knee. "Feel free to shoot, but make it quick."

"I intend to," the man aimed and was just about to shoot when a loud siren sounded, startling all three. The female pressed herself against a broken-down vehicle while the male grabbed (Y/N) and yanked them over to behind the building that sat a ways away from where (Y/N) had wanted to set up their base.

They threw the male off and glared at him, looking just around a corner only to see nothing. "What the hell was that?"

"Now? You wan'na be nice, now?!"

"You shot me first." They showed their damaged ear, the blood now providing a bit of an echo. The male did not seem sympathetic, though, even if he was the reason for the wound. The duo saw the female step forward, shaking her head. "Did you have to sound an alarm?!"

"I had to announce my arrival! Did you like it?! 'Wanted to change it up a bit! Where's Katniss?!" (Y/N) now saw a male—he wasn't very tall but was probably taller than them—who walked towards the female. They (the female and the other male) met and both turned towards the renegade after the woman whispered to the man.

The male came from behind (Y/N) and grabbed their shirt collar, dragging them with him. "Lovely of you to join us, Hawkeye! Wan'na tell me why you're dragging this person with you?"

"Bitch almost killed Widow."

"I have a fucking name."

"Yeah, and what is that," the dark-haired male stepped closer to (Y/N) with his arms crossed. When they remained silent, the male sighed and held his hand out. "Hello, I'm who people call Iron Man."

(Y/N) laughed through their nose, shaking their head. "What kind'a code name is that? You got bones of iron or something?"

Iron Man shook his head, laughing humorlessly with (Y/N). "Very funny. I see you caught a funny one. Widow, can you go with Hawkeye and find Cap'? He'll know what to do with this one. I'll take 'em."

Widow and Hawkeye nodded, the male throwing (Y/N) at Iron Man. The duo ran off, quickly losing the interest of the renagade. They looked at Iron Man before sitting on the ground, taking in their surroundings. "I need my stuff."

"What," Iron Man turned to look at them, pacing in front of them. "You actually have stuff?"

"To keep in contact. With my base. With my family. I need that pack, I need it. She'll kill me before I lose that radio." (Y/N) began to panic, now noticing that they had no weapon, no radio, and none of the little food they once had. Iron Man saw them hyperventilate and quickly went to action, grabbing their shoulders and staring into their eyes.

"Panic attack, one or two have happened to me before. Stare at my face—get a good look at it. Match my breathing, sit straight and match my breathing." Iron Man proceeded to breath in deeply as to help the stranger. After a minute of the breathing exercise, (Y/N) relaxed and laid back onto the pavement. They stared at the dim sky, now just realizing that they need shelter before nightfall.

"We need to get inside. My stuff is in a building that isn't too far from here, we can use that until your friends get back." When they went to stand, Iron Man shook his head. (Y/N) stared at the man, willing him to speak.

"What's your name?"

"My partner called me Darkend."

"Lead the way."


	2. Chapter Two—Names

Iron Man held off an Infected as (Y/N) searched for their belongings. "Hey, Darkend! 'Be pretty nice if you could hurry!"

They merely shook their head and loaded their recovered pistol. "Move it, Man!" He threw the Infected off and ran, ducking as (Y/N) shot the monster just between its eyes. It seized as it lay on the ground, its eery green tone now shifting to its natural pale complexion. Iron Man saw that it was a female, now lifeless and still on the filthy floor of the building.

"Can you call your friends and tell them where you are? I don't feel like getting killed when they try to get in."

"We're locking them out?”

"Do you want to deal with a whole swarm of those things," (Y/N) screamed at Iron Man, throwing a loose brick at him. "How fucking stupid are you?! I am not dying just 'cause your team is slow."

"I can't stay here then. They're my team—"

"Man, this is not a game! This isn't a place where you can always stick together! Do you think I want to be on my own?! I want to be back home, with my family. But we can't keep the same people around, and can't stay in the same place," (Y/N) lowered their voice, seeing that Iron Man's expression was growing sadder with each word.

"Look, I'm just trying to make you get up and look around you. This isn't some fairytale where we win. We don't win." Iron Man nodded and sat down on a dusty chair that (Y/N) found.

"You're right. But—and I'm channeling my inner-Cap' right now—we should try to get through, together. You can make it back home, and I can get back to my family too. But we can't always look on the bright side."

Silence settled over the duo before (Y/N)'s radio started going off. They grabbed their pack and turned the radio up.

"—come in, Darkend! The base has been attacked and he's missing! Vincent is missing, (Y/N)!"

They quickly pressed the speaker, "Nessie, calm down! Oh my god, request location!"

"I ran, (Y/N)! Mom said she had him, but he's not here! Fuck, fuck! You need to get back home, now!"

"Okay, I'll try—"

"No, you fuckin' better get back here! I did not let your brother help us with a child just so I have it without you here! I cannot, I repeat, cannot lose Vincent! You better get your ass back here! Over and out!"

(Y/N) threw the radio back into their pack and turned to Iron Man, not saying anything as they grabbed their pistol and jammed the door. "You aren't gon'na say anything?"

"Your wife?"

"Yes, my wife."

“And your child?"

"Yes, and my future child."

"Your brother's?"

(Y/N) glared at the man, their expression dead serious. "Don't fucking push it."

Iron Man held his arms up and nodded. He watched as Darkend blockaded the windows with bricks and wood that was scattered around the filthy room. They knew what they were doing, he thought as they finished the first window.

"Can you fucking help me, Man? I could need some help." Iron Man nodded and began helping, not entirely understanding why he was aiding this stranger. "(Y/N)?”

Darkend looked to Iron Man, their eyebrow twitching up as to bid the man to speak further. When he didn't continue, they sighed frustratedly. "Don't call me that."

"Tony."

"Only cool people have names. Thanks, Iron Man."

————

"You've got incoming, Cap'!"

Captain America turned around and knocked his battered shield into the oncoming Infected. hitting just between its neck and shoulder. Its sickly appearance reverted to an older man, its head rolling to the side and exposed the fatal wound inflicted by the survivor.

"Nat, to your left." Four gunshots rang, then a slight shrill of a scream sounded. "All you, Thor."

"With a mighty swing? I fear that will not suffice. Captain, may I borrow your shield," the burly man ran towards the male, not giving him much of a choice as he hurled his hammer towards Captain. He lifted his shield just before he was hit and the impact disturbed the mod around the group and knocked them off of their feet.

"Clint, now would—"

Multiple arrows shot all of the fallen Infected, killing them with songle headshots. Hawkeye jumped from his higher point to the ground and backed his bow along with the quiver of arrows. "'That good 'nough for you?"

"That works just fine." Captain patted him on the shoulder before nodding towards Black Widow. "Now about that kid Tony's with—"

"They weren't a kid, Cap'. They knew what they were doing. We got'ta get back and set camp. Who knows how long we'll be out here for."

"First we have to get in touch with Banner, then we have to find the twins. Are we forgetting anyone?"

"The Vision, where is it? Bird Man, tell you know where the Vision is."

"With the twins. It follows the chick around."

Widow nodded, readjusting her gloves and blowing her hair out of her face. "C'mon, let's get going. Cap', did you get the bikes?"

"Better."

————

"—and she started screaming at me!"

(Y/N) laughed, covering their mouth as they began to cough. "Holy fuck, Iron Man! What kinda' women do you attract?!"

Tony chuckled, shaking his head. "The crazy bitches, apparently! So—" he took a swig of the warm beer that he and (Y/N) found hidden in a covered basement, "—what about you? What kind of woman is your wife? Nessie, her name was?"

The mood dimmed a bit as they stared at their fourth beer. "She, Nessie can be a bit of a handful. Her and I met in high school and took it from there. She had this hotass of a boyfriend when we hooked up and she totally wiped me from her world when she found out that she was pregnant with the guy's kid.

"After college, I found her at a bar, hammered out of her mind and took her back to my dad's place. She told me that she had tracked my neighbourhood and found out that I still lived in Luzerne. Her and I started talking after that and then I fell down."

Tony started giggling when (Y/N) shook their head. "She thought I was proposing and she started shouting and I didn't wan'na make her mad so I just gave her a rubber band in my pocket. And—wait, what was your question?

"What's your child's name gon'na be?"

(Y/N) pointed at Tony and started cackling. "That was not your fucking question!"

"Yes, it was! Now answer the damn thing!"

"Tristan for a boy, Adriana for a girl." They smiled and rolled their head back, nearly dropping their beer bottle and staring at the ceiling. "For my brother and Nessie's mom."

Tony nodded, placing his empty bottle next to him and leaning forward. His elbows nearly touched the ground, seeing as they were both sitting Indian-style on the floor. "I'm sure you want to get back to your family, more than anything."

"I need my wife. I need that stupid kid that calls me Dude. I need to be there for my baby."

"And you'll get back," he placed his hand on top of theirs, making them look at him. Tony smiled and motioned for them to lean on him. When they did, he wrapped his arm around them. "I'll make sure you get back. I just need you to trust me."

"Sure, Tony."

"Iron Man."

"No, you're cool. Cool people get names.”


End file.
